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I would say the Cowboys, but I honestly think their division is going to get better. RG3 will continue to win, the Giants should be better, and Philly will win possibly a game more ... so the Cowboys might be 9-7 next year, but not necessarily a playoff team.

I would say the Cowboys, but I honestly think their division is going to get better. RG3 will continue to win, the Giants should be better, and Philly will win possibly a game more ... so the Cowboys might be 9-7 next year, but not necessarily a playoff team.

But the Cowboys should be better too if they do anything right in the offseason lol. I just thought it was messed up that no one is mentioning them.

I think injuries killed the Steelers this season. Yes, injuries are part of the game. No, not all injuries are created equal. When they disproportionately affect a team's best players, or when there are numerous injuries on one unit or at one position, then it becomes a problem.

Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and James Harrison are the three "superstars" on the team, and all three missed multiple games due to injuries. They also tried playing through their injuries and were ineffective in the process. Polamalu and Harrison both missed significant time early in the season and failed to make an impact until the final month. Roethlisberger was injured mid-season and hasn't been the same since.

Several other impact players (Antonio Brown, Ryan Clark, Maurkice Pouncey, Ike Taylor, LaMarr Woodley) missed multiple games as well, and two (Heath Miller, Mike Wallace) missed one game. In fact, Brett Keisel and Lawrence Timmons were the only two impact players who were healthy for all 16 games.

To make matters worse, the RBs and LBs were depleted by injuries early in the season, the QBs mid-season, and the CBs and offensive linemen late in the season. When third- and fourth-string players get significant playing time, then there's a problem. At least Baron Batch, Kelvin Beachum, Josh Victorian and DeMarcus Van **** all got to experience something more than the pre-season.

Last April, the Steelers drafted David DeCastro in the first round and Sean Spence in the third round, and both players impressed the coaches during the pre-season, but both ended up on IR before the regular season even started. At least DeCastro was recalled. Spence was not. And Mike Adams, their second-round draft pick, was injured after filling in for another offensive lineman who ended up on IR. Adams missed the last six games of the season himself.

So yeah, when all a team's superstars and most of its impact players miss extended periods of time, and different units of the team get wiped out at various times, and two of the top three rookies don't even make it to the regular season, then it really does begin to add up and negatively impact the performance of the team, and it can most certainly make the difference between 11-5 or 12-4 and 8-8. It's death by a thousand cuts.

If the Steelers have a good draft and avoid too many significant injuries to their best players next season, then they'll be back in the mix in 2013.

Last edited by DBR96A; 12-31-2012 at 05:39 PM.

"[Roethlisberger is] the most underrated quarterback of the 21st century."-Bill Simmons, Editor, Grantland

"Roethlisberger is perpetually underrated, to the point that even when he breaks records, it doesn’t really feel like it."-Joseph Milord, Editor, Elite Daily

"I am ... a big Roethlisberger fan. I really like Ben. He will be in that Hall of Fame someday."-Joe Montana, Hall of Fame QB

Well, I expect it is easy to select a 7, 8, 9 or 10 win team from this past season that didn't make the play-offs and call them a turn around. Which of the 6 win or less teams will turn it around? I would like to say the Lions but they have some significant pay rates coming up for their top players that could really limit their ability to field a team with any/lots of depth at the various positions.

I would say the Cowboys, but I honestly think their division is going to get better. RG3 will continue to win, the Giants should be better, and Philly will win possibly a game more ... so the Cowboys might be 9-7 next year, but not necessarily a playoff team.

I think Washington takes a step back next year to 3rd place. Looking at it now, they have a brutal schedule...

@ GB
@ Min
@ Atl
@ Den
vs SF

The Cowboys and Giants get GB, Min, and Den all at home while not having to play SF or ATL.